Ecological data analysis with R – Yelapa, Mexico – March 2017

Josh Stewart, Lynn Waterhouse, and I developed and taught a 10-day workshop on “Ecological Data Analysis” in Yelapa, Mexico. Workshop materials are available here.

Twelve students working with Proyecto Manta, a manta ray research program in Bahia de Banderas Mexico, participated from three universities (Instituto Tecnologico de Bahia de Banderas; Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Sur; and Universidad de Melaque). The course was provided to the students free of charge. We aimed to provide a highly applied, targeted crash course in ecological statistics and data analysis, train students in the basics of data visualization and science communication, and expose participants to more advanced field data collection methods and technology. Students practiced analyses ranging from t-tests to GLMs and received advice on analyzing their own data from research projects at their home institutions. We combined lectures on background material, classroom coding sessions for hands-on training in R, and homework assignments to reinforce skills learned during classes. An exam given before and after the workshop showed a mean 588% (min 350% / max 930%) improvement in statistical analysis with R.

Many thanks to our funders:

Intro to R for marine ecology – SIO / UCSD – Aug 2018

Lynn Waterhouse and I adapted the Yelapa workshop material to give a 3-day course for ten summer REU students in the SURF program at SIO, UC San Diego.